This was our first year for our using a "spike" camp and led directly or indirectly to a series of new experiences. The idea was to have a temporary (jerry rigged and done on a shoestring) shelter (with heat) down in the midst of our hunting area that we could use as a refuge if it was a bitter cold opening day -- a place to thaw out, and as a place where those who did not yet have their elk at the end of day one could spend the night and thus spare themselves the 4 mile hike out and then the 4 mile hike back in within 10 hours thus making the follow up day of hunting more doable. The plan was that there would not be much more than 2 or 3 over night guests. I had stocked it with 2 therma rests and 2 sleeping bags of my own for community use and anyone additional could bring their own bag. Well, the best laid plans of mice and men"..
As the first day unfolded most of our elk were shot much later than usual and by the time we got them quartered and hung in trees to cool it was getting late and after taking stock of things we decided the five us would all stay overnight in the spike camp and those with meat to pack would leave the next morning and those without would go "back on stand" in pursuit of the wily elk. Five men and two sleeping bags hmmm, time to improvise a little here". Might require just a little "cowboying up."
First came food, we had stocked the spike camp with groceries that were either ready to eat "as is" (including lots of elk jerky) and soups and drinks that only required hot water and were self contained -- no dishes. It is amazing how good things taste when you"ve been worked hard and it"s cold and you are hungry! With dinner done we emptied out the tent (9"x11" dome).
We laid all the rifles at the far end of the tent away from the heater and carefully stacked and padded them. We laid the two thermarests cross ways of the direction we intended to sleep, one at butt level and one at shoulder blade level. Then we bedded four of us down shoulder to shoulder (all out door clothing still on " coats and all). We unzipped the two sleeping bags and laid them crossways across the top of us. Next we took the three military ponchos and covered that. Next we took two canvas pannier top covers and used those as our "bedspread". What about the fifth man? Wel,l with the tent being 9" there was just enough room for him to sleep cross ways at our feet. For blankets he used the saddle blankets from the horses plus there was enough pannier top cover to cover him up also.
My oldest son put himself in charge of running the propane "buddy heater" by Mr. Heater. Normally, if everyone had their own sleeping bag we would just let the tent "go cold" that was not an option that night. Buddy Heaters have an oxygen sensor that shuts the system down if it senses the environment is short of oxygen, the problem is they are erratic (to the safe side) above 7,000" so it would run for about a quarter hour " and then shut down, then tent would cool in a half an hour and then he would restart it or someone would ask for it. It did make for a long night, BUT it was warm and it was restful (enough). It did make it easy for everyone to get up and there we were " right in the thick of prime elk country!
Two hunters went back to hunting and were on stand an hour before sunrise. The other three and the pack horse with the 6x6 bull on board headed for the main camp as the sun broke the eastern horizon. Didn"t make very good time on the way out, especially in the last mile since as we approached the trailhead, we were stopped by everyone we met which was quite okay but I couldn"t help but think, "You boys should have been on stand 3 hours ago and a lot further away from the road! We"ll be using a spike camp set up next year and of course we will have to "improve" on it --- the problem is then it doesn' t all fit on one horse.
Here is a snap shot right after we kicked everyone out of the tent after eating and before getting ready to call it a night:
Here is a snap shot took of us all bedded down under the pannier top covers, it was pitch black, he just held the camera up and shot it with the flash on -- kinda funny.
Two days later, here is another shot of the whole camp loaded onto one horse before we put the top cover on and then lash roped it down. [top cover and lash rope are on the ground lower left of photo]
Any thoughts? What do you use for a spike camp set up and still keep it easily transportable (pros and cons)?
EKM
Spike Camp: Stacked Like Cordwood
